In April (1859) I think, we started to Mo. with those two horse teams, we had a dreadful wet spring and summer, and consequently, a bad time for moving. We got to Maye Ville (?) Mo. [I think Maysville Court House, De Kalb, Missouri] and there waited a few days for Jerry Dawsons (?) [Jerry Lawson, his brother-in-law] who intended to meet us there. Just when we were ready to start they came and we all moved out together. Went down toward Haynes Ville [probably Haynesville, Clinton County] and there layed over while the men looked around a few days, but they soon rented a farm of old Kit Perkins [possibly Christopher Perkins who bought land Ray and Clinton Counties in 1843] in Ray county and we all moved with the one horse with but one move. It was here that father virtually gave Will and Souns (?) [likely Sons] freedom by giving us a part of the crop and boarding us with James. This was caused mostly by family discords, as we never could regard our stepmother [Valeria Young] in any other light than that reflected by her own mercenary self, and she as wearily reciprocated our dislike for her.

The move in 1859 from Madison County, Iowa to Clinton/Ray counties in Missouri. There was a stop in Maysville C.H. Circled unlabeled area is the Clinton/Ray county region where I think they stayed a while. Brother-in-law Jerry Lawson was in the Knoxville, Ray, Missouri area in the 1860 Census (right next to the unlabeled circled area). Closeup from Colton's Kansas and Nebraska (1858).

Representing the unlabeled area circled in the map above. There was a Christopher Perkins who bought land in Clinton and Ray counties in Missouri that I think might be the "old Kit Perkins" that James Milo refers to. Snapshot from HistoryGeo's First Landowners Project (which uses BLM data).

During the summer the old folks and Will went up to Iowa on business and brought back another team. At this time Father could command perhaps as much as he ever could; he was worth about $10,000. Soon after they returned, Jerries and I went with a load of apples. Docks came back with us to see the country. Father had bought a nice farm four miles south of Ninabile (?) [Mirabile, Caldwell, Missouri].

As James Milo indicated, his father had bought a farm in Mirabile (Rockford Township) in Caldwell County, Missouri (north from Ray County).

This census year turns out to be an interesting case of how one person can be recorded in two different places, as James Milo also appears with his brother-in-law "Jas H. Lawson" (Jerry Lawson) and sister Caroline in Ray County. Given how much moving around he described in his diary it is not surprising.

I'll admit it, I was a little disappointed that James didn't mention anything about the census taking in his diary. I keep hoping to find an example of a direct ancestor or collateral describing interaction with a census taker, but no luck this time.